NSCAD University

Undergraduate admission (high school)

Applicants must have completed grade 12 (or the highest grade required for secondary graduation) with an average of 70% or higher, including at least 70% in grade 12 English for university preparation. A record of all studies from at least grade 10 onward is required, including mid-term or first-semester grades for the graduating year. A portfolio, an admissions essay (five short prompts, about 250-500 words in total) and transcripts are part of every undergraduate application.

Equivalent qualifications

An International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum grade of 24 is acceptable for entry; Higher Level courses with a grade of 5 or higher are eligible for transfer credit, as are Advanced Placement courses with a grade of 4 or higher. Quebec CEGEP applicants need at least one full year of a DEC with an overall average of 70% or higher; a completed two-year DEC may receive up to one year of transfer credit. Quebec grade 12 applicants need a 70% average including 70% in grade 12 English. Applicants studying toward the General Certificate of Secondary Education (for example in the United Kingdom, West Indies, Bermuda, East and West Africa or Hong Kong) need at least two Advanced (A) Level subjects and three Ordinary (O) Level subjects with an overall average of C and no subject below D; two AS Level courses may replace one A Level course.

English language (international applicants)

Applicants whose language of instruction was not English for at least three years of high school or one year of post-secondary study must provide a test result sent directly by the testing service. Undergraduate minimums: TOEFL 90 (no section below 20); IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0); Duolingo English Test 120 (no sub-score below 110); PTE Academic 70 (no score below 65); CAEL 69 (no test below 60); CAE grade B; MELAB 82 (no test below 80); Oxford ELLT 7 (no band below 6); IB English A1 or A2 HL grade 5; AP English grade 4. Graduate minimums: TOEFL 94 (no section below 22); IELTS 7.0 (no band below 6.0); Duolingo 130 (no sub-score below 110); PTE Academic 70 (no score below 65); Oxford ELLT 8 (no band below 7). Applicants who do not yet meet the requirement receive a conditional offer and may take English studies through partner language-school pathway programs.

International applicants

Admitted students receive an acceptance letter with the university's Designated Learning Institution number for the Canadian study permit application, which is required for study longer than four months; visiting or exchange students staying under six months do not need a permit. Health insurance is mandatory and included in fees. The recommended budget for 8-12 months of study is a minimum of $20,000 to $25,000 (Cdn), excluding airfare. Graduates of the Nova Scotia International Student Program from a Nova Scotia secondary school pay the domestic out-of-province tuition rate for the full length of their undergraduate degree. All degree students must meet a writing requirement, normally through FNDN 1800 Writing for the Arts in the Foundation year.

Mature, transfer, visiting and exchange applicants

Mature applicants are at least 22 years old, have never been enrolled in full-time post-secondary study, have been out of school three years or longer and may not have graduated from high school; they submit available academic records and two letters of recommendation, are considered case by case and apply to the Foundation Program. Transfer credit is available for AP or IB coursework, previous post-secondary study, or study at an institution with an articulation or pathway agreement with NSCAD. Visiting students need a Letter of Permission from their home institution; non-degree students submit high school or post-secondary transcripts. Exchange students from partner institutions need home-institution approval.

Graduate admission

Applicants to the Master of Fine Arts should hold a BFA or equivalent four-year qualification; applicants to the Master of Design should hold a Bachelor of Design, a related bachelor's degree or equivalent, with an overall B average in relevant coursework. The application requires a statement of intent (maximum 500 words), transcripts, two letters of recommendation and a portfolio of up to 20 images or files (time-based excerpts not exceeding 15 minutes in total); for the Master of Arts in Art Education the portfolio is optional and a writing sample from the last six years is required. A non-refundable application fee of $75 USD applies. Up to three graduate liberal arts credits may be transferred.

Portfolio

Undergraduate portfolios include 10-20 recent examples of finished work in at least three mediums, 5-10 examples of process work, and a list of works giving title, medium and materials, dimensions and year.

Deadlines and how to apply

All applications are made through the SlideRoom portal (nscad.slideroom.com) with an online form, application fee, transcripts, essay and portfolio. Undergraduate fall (September) entry opens October 1; the deadline for entrance scholarship consideration is March 1; extended deadlines are May 1 (international), June 1 (transfer) and July 31 (domestic). Winter (January) entry: October 1 for international, domestic and transfer applicants, with an extended domestic deadline of November 30. Late applications may be considered on request. Graduate programs start in fall only, with an application deadline of January 15 (early deadline November 1 for the Master of Design and the Master of Arts in Art Education). The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Design has a March 1 deadline. Undergraduate and certificate decisions can come in as little as two weeks; graduate decisions follow 4-6 weeks after the deadline. Transcripts may be sent by the school to [email protected], through electronic services such as MyCreds, or by mail to NSCAD Admissions, 5163 Duke Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3J6.

• Fountain Campus, 5163 Duke Street, Halifax. A National Historic Site of Canada made up of a city block of Victorian terrace-style buildings, formerly 19 merchant shops and warehouses. Divisions: Craft, Design, Fine Arts, Media Arts. Home to the Anna Leonowens Gallery.
• Port Campus, 1107 Marginal Road, Halifax. A renovated historic warehouse on the waterfront. Divisions: Foundation, Craft, Design, Fine Arts. Many first-year classes and studios are held here, along with wood and metal fabrication shops, sculpture studio, plastics lab and foundry, and the Port Loggia Gallery.
• Academy Campus, 1649 Brunswick Street, Halifax. A Gothic Revival building at the base of Citadel Hill, built in 1878 as a high school. Division: Media Arts, including film, with edit suites, studio space, sound rooms, a screening room and animation facilities.

Facilities: computer labs with printing and photocopying on all three campuses; the NSCAD University Library, the largest dedicated collection of visual arts, craft and design materials in Atlantic Canada, with more than 50,000 books and periodicals; the Anna Leonowens Gallery and Treaty Space Gallery, which mount over 125 exhibitions and over 50 events a year; twelve fabrication studios. There are no on-campus residences; partner-university residences and private housing are used.